Not specific to your tire in question, but I have struggled with installing a tire before and fretted about fixing a flat. What happened in this case (road tire) is that the bead stretched just enough after being run for a few months, that removal and install to replace a tube was easy.
I imagine this varies with each tire and construction, but I expect that some stretch is to be expected in most cases.
Iāve had a similar experience with WTB Riddler gravel tyres on WTB rims - almost impossible to get on and off without breaking something. Luckily it wasnāt my bike but I did have to stand around getting eaten alive my Midges whilst observingā¦
Mike
I have had the occasional rim/tyre combo issue, but it is invariably fixed by patience and carefully moving the tyre bead into the centre of the rim.
If I canāt get a tyre on by hand then itās not going on the rim, and I havenāt been beatenā¦ yet
I have a new bike build, converting a hardtail 29er to a rigid fork, drop bar gravel bike. I am looking for recommendations for the fastest tire that is 45mm-50mm (1.77"-2.0"). I have clearance for 2.3" but I donāt feel the need to go that big. Iām a bigger rider at 230lbs (104.3kg), so I feel a larger volume tire would be to my advantage.
Thanks for your help!
Soā¦do you think itās safe (or a good idea) to run the Schwalbe G-One 38mm on an I19 rim?
I live in New Hampshire and weāre not called the āGranite Stateā for nothing! 
I definitely know what your dealing with up here in NE.
Iām currently riding Panaracer Gravel King SK 35mm. I bought them to train for Gravel Worlds but have found them to run great on New England gravel roads. They take the pot hole hits without issue and the roll super fast. On the few section of pavement you might encounter, they also ride great!
I did find myself on one an old class 4 fire road that was super rutted/muddy from 4x4ās etcā¦ and felt the tires were a bit overwhelmed, I came off the bike a couple times. I cannot recommend the 35 mm SKās for these roads. (not sure about their 40mm offering)
I have used the Kenda Flintridge Pro 120TPI 40mm tires for the class 4 roads and they worked pretty decent, they just felt a bit stiff on all other surfaces.
Iāve heard great things about the Maxxis Rambler 40mm and was thinking about scoring a set this fall.
Let me know what you settle on, Iād love to hear your thoughts on a 40mm tire.
The Gravel King SK and Riddler 37 are my favorite two tires right now.
I personally run the Riddler tires as they have a little bit better bite on the side knobs. I find theyāre the better tire for racing cyclocross and riding singletrack. Iād prefer the Gravel King if I was simply doing gravel roads.
Great comparison on these tires. I prefer the GKs when there is road/packed cornering because the consistent side āknobā feels more predictable.
I have always thought an improved GK would open the side knobs with bit more gap, to improve bike when leaned over. The current connected blocks seem unnecessary for a cornering part of the tire, but maybe Iām wrong.
Iād open a gap between the longer bridges to get more edge bite when leaned over.
agree on looser conditions. One nice side effect of the mixed road/gravel rides I often do is the grip on the road when cornering on fast, technical descents. I can lean the bike so much further.
True, as usual there are pro/cons with each option.
I use the Vittoria Terreno series. Very good, easy-rolling tires. Terreno Dries, Terreno Mix, and Terreno Wet. The latter are particularly good for the mountain gravel races I do on the East Coast, which can be mucky even when the weatherās good.
I was running Kenda Flintridgeās. I liked the tire, but a bit stiff. Currently running Specialized Trigger Proās in 38. Love them. Fast on pavement and pretty good on dirt / gravel (just did Lost and Found on them).
FWIW, on my Stans Grail wheels the Kenda 40 tire measured 45. The Specialized 38 measured 38.
That looks interesting too. Almost a reversal of block design from the SK.
Agree. Iām in Michigan and run the same tire in 35ās. Our gravel is mostly hard packed, smooth gravel.
Hey Gravel tire expertsā¦Iām running a Gravel King Slick 38 tubeless and will do a gravel race which is approx 1/2 hard pack/dry/loose gravel and 1/2 pavement. The gravel section is first. Planning on starting out around 35psi and inflate to a higher psi when I hit the pavement.
Question isā¦for those with experience on a GK, is there a sweet spot psi for low Crr on pavement? 35, 40, 50, 50+? I weigh 165. Thx for any insight!
I have not ridden that particular tire, but Iāve run a Maxxis Velocita slick and Iām guessing they are similar (how different can slicks be?). Iām about your weight and I might run at 37 rear 35 front if it was all road, but not any higher. I certainly wouldnāt bother stopping to add air if you might lose contact with a fast group just to add a few psi. I think 35 would be fine. We have a lot of chip seal rough roads around here, so lower psi is usually better. Unless itās super smooth tarmac or concrete, higher PSI is not typically going to be faster.
I couldnāt get the WTB Riddlerās on my 700c wheels too. Dropped them off at the bike shop and paid them to do it 
I usually use Quarqās Tirewiz app for suggested pressures. Plugging in your info they recommend 37 front/40 rear for you.
Hey Folks,
For those of you that have done Rock Cobbler in the past can you give me a tire recommendation?
